Rom To My Private Dungeon

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Chapter 6

A purple haze of fumes rose from the cauldrons and filled the air. Snape slowly and gracefully pulled out the dripping ladles, his body language belying his acute arousal and nervousness. After that was a blur. He remembered calmly placing the ladles back on the table. He remembered saying something to Maracuja to make his excuses, though exactly what he could not recall. He remembered waiting momentarily for her to leave while he attempted to regain composure, eyeing the potions with loathing as though they were the fault and not the product of his predicament. Why he did not magic them away with a simple Evanesca he could not say. But before he knew it, he\'d found himself stormily ascending the stone steps to Dumbledore\'s office.

\"Sherbet Lemon!\" he shouted angrily at the stone gargoyle, which moved, unfazed by his tone.

Snape stormed up the stairs. Most of the portraits feigned sleep, but Phineas Nigellus noted Snape\'s entrance and raised an eyebrow.

\"Severus! My fine Slytherin associate.\" He oozed a little too cheerily. \"You\'re looking a little peaked. Agitated even. Are you worried about something? Better keep your pecker up if you\'ll be bartender tonight.\" He finished with a phlegmy laugh.

Snape scowled, but did not look the portrait in the face. \"Where is Dumbledore?\" he barked.

\"I am right here, Severus\" came a sing-songy voice from behind a bookshelf.

Snape immediately regained his composure, though he was pale and panting slightly. \"Headmaster.\" he supplicated, head bent. \"I beg your pardon for the interruption, but I cannot serve my potion tonight.\"

Dumbledore placed a shiny round object on his desk and eyed Snape intently for a moment. He gestured for them both to sit and then enquired, \"You are missing some ingredient? Not feeling well? Or...no, I can see this is about something else.\"

Snape sat at the edge of his chair, holding his breath and unconsciously rubbed his knees. He did not look up, and he did not know what to say. Black hair cascaded over his face as though to protect him from further embarrassment. After a moment he spoke softly and deliberately. \"The recipe I use is a very sensitive one. I am sure you are aware of the subtleties in temperature, technique and...temperament that are needed to produce the desired results. I am afraid I was not able to produce the, er, necessary conditions this year. Please forgive me Headmaster.\"

Dumbledore smiled knowingly as his gaze fell upon the other man, who looked at that very moment more like a mortified teenager than an accomplished potions master. He chose his next words very carefully. \"I want you to listen to me, Severus,\" he began. \"Tonight is about enjoying ourselves. You have suffered an extremely diflt ylt year. We all have-but you especially. Tonight we have the opportunity to shrug off a year\'s worth of stress and turmoil. So stop. Allow yourself to relinquish this pressure and release. You are, if I may, much to...much too...\" he breathed, as though thinking about his last words, then slowly finished, \"much too hard on yourself, Severus.\" Some of the snoring portraits snickered.

Snape returned Dumbledore\'s gaze with cynical narrowed eyes. His pale thin fingers flittered nervously on the edge of the desk like spiders. He knew Dumbledore was right about the party, but could not for his life explain how the man could pinpoint the problem so specifically. \"Nigellus,\" the realisation suddenly dawned on him. \"I must remind myself to do something painful to his portrait in my office.\" Anger overcame his embarrassment at that very deliberate choice of words. He looked up, and spoke to the other man\'s shoulder. \"I hear you, sir, and I am not amused.\"

\"Ah, but the party participants will be.\" He teased back.

He slammed his hand on Dumbledore\'s desk. \"I will not be held responsible for what might ensue!\"

\"Not to fear. I shall make all excuses and take full responsibility.\" he promised breezily, with a twinkle in his eye. \"But I highly doubt you will find any complaints.\" He paused, and then continued gently but with insistence. \"This is not a request, Severus. It is an order. You will serve the potions tonight, and you will enjoy yourself...and enjoy the company of the one who inspired this little predicament of yours.\"

Snape made to protest, but Dumbledore raised a hand to silence him. \"There are things one can see even without needing a \'third eye\' Severus. What gifts the stars have bestowed upon you this summer should be treasured. For you and I know there will not be many more idle summers like this in the future.\"

Dumbledore folded his hands in his lap and sat silently. Snape stood up and began pacing the room, then stopped, placed his hands on the desk and leaned forward. A verbal spar ensued.

\"She is a student.\"

He began pacing again.

\"She is an adult.\"

\"She is my intern.\"

\"She is a grown woman here of her own volition.\"

Snape stopped and examined his fingernails. \"What if things go horribly wrong?\"

\"What if they don\'t?\"

He dropped his hands. \"What if she lodges a complaint?\"

\"What if she\'s pleased?\"

\"What if it\'s all my own demented musings?\"

Dumbledore stood and placed a hand on Snape\'s shoulder. \"It\'s not.\"

Snape sat down. \"What will people think?\"

\"That you are a very, very fortunate man.\"

He was not quite sure how this meeting had turned the way it had. All he knew was that Dumbledore seemed more like a friend and father at that moment than anyone ever had in his life.

Dumbledore squeezed Snape\'s shoulder gently then withdrew his hand. \"She told Minerva she wants the best. I do not take her for the kind of woman to take no for an answer when she wants something. So go, and be your. A. And don\'t worry about the potions. By the time anyone figures out what kind of effect it\'s having on them, they will cease to care, and will no doubt forget by morning. And unless you\'ve changed the ingredients, no one will do anything they didn\'t really want to do anyway. So you see, you are exculpated even without my promise.\"

Snape stood and tossed the hair out of his face. \"Thank you, Headmaster. Now if you\'ll excuse me, there is a frock coat impatiently waiting my return.\" Dumbledore gave him a slightly puzzled look. \"Well, surely you don\'t expect me to serve as bartender wearing my lab robes?\" he gestured up and down. And with a turn on his heels, Snape was out the door.

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A/N

Thanks again to Ridley-Roo and April for their superb beta skills.

\"Lemony\" chapters ahead. This story will soon deserve its NC-17 rating, I promise.

Oh, and I suppose I ought to throw in the disclaimer again. The Harry Potterverse is the property of JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and Warner Bros. No copyright infringement intended. I make no profit off this.

If you\'re enjoying my story...please review!